Food

Unlike the masses congregating near Parliament Hill over the weekend, my husband Steve and I weren’t in Ottawa for Canada Day celebrations. We were there as food couriers. Our cargo contained Alberta yak/beef-cross tenderloin, Sylvan Star Gouda from the Red Deer area, and sea urchin, char and shrimp from Nunavut, all destined for Rideau Hall.

Picking a steak for your barbecue can feel much like a crapshoot. While most of us are familiar with the traditional, pricey cuts at the meat counter of the local grocery store, the “value” cuts — those under about $14 a kilogram — are often puzzling.

The sight of a herd of goats in the heart of cattle country usually elicits little more than a sigh and a 'Oh, how cute!' But for goat farmers like Merna Gisler, those animals represent a thriving industry.

There is something deeply thrilling about seeing a herd of bison in Alberta. You imagine a time before fences, when life was lived according to nature's timetable, with greater respect for the plants and animals that sustain us.

It's spring, and giddy with its prospects, Hundred Bar & Kitchen chef Andrew Cowan, CITY television host Ryan Jespersen and I head out to Kaiser farm to talk lamb. Amid the bleating of the babies, and the charming evidence that, indeed, there is a black sheep in every family, we could imagine the Kaiser clan — Martin, Helene and son Stefan — are in this business for the love of woolly ...

Alberta is known as beef country, but as it turns out, we also do well with the most popular meat in the world: pork. “Alberta pork is probably the best quality in the world, that’s what our Japanese customers have told us,” says Jim Haggins, chairman for Alberta Pork. Though the strength of our dollar has meant more imported American pork in our supermarket coolers, Alberta-produced...

The Southwest Edmonton Farmers Market held its grand opening May 18, 2011. Hundreds of people attended the market, located in the parking lot of Lillian Osborne High School at 2019 Leger Road. It's open every Wednesday evening from May until the end of September.

Marion Popkin knows she is up against a formidable opponent. She calls it the Easter Bunny Syndrome. As president of the Alberta Rabbit Producers Association, Popkin says the notion that the animals are too cute to eat is her group’s biggest market barrier.

The Edmonton Journal has won a first place prize from the International Newsmedia Marketing Association for its 2010 Grey Cup supplement project. The paper won the award in the category of Public Relations and Community Service.

Back in the day, being The Big Cheese meant you were a VIP, period.
But cheese itself? For decades, Canadians loved Velveeta and Cheez Whiz. Few dairies in Alberta attempted artisan cheese, and when they did, they couldn’t sell it. But now, thanks to the efforts of a handful of dedicated people — cheesemongers, cheese makers and a growing audience of cheese-loving customers — artisanal...